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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — a city
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com